ORLANDO, Fla. — You have less than a month to check your home for bats and get them removed before it’s illegal to do so.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Floridians need to get their homes and buildings checked for roosting bats before bat maternity season starts on April 15.
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FWC said bat maternity season, the time when bats give birth and raise their young, runs through Aug. 14. During that time, it is illegal to block bats from their roosts.
If bats are excluded during maternity season, wildlife officials say flightless young can be trapped inside the structure and die.
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FWC says it is only legal to use exclusion devices from Aug. 15 through April 15.
Exclusion devices, which allow bats to safely exit a structure but block them from returning to roosts, are the only legal and most effective method to remove bats from your home or building.
READ: FWC officials share tips on how to protect Florida’s wildlife as activity increases in spring
It is illegal in Florida to kill or harm bats, so exclusion guidelines were developed to ensure bats are excluded safely and effectively from buildings outside of maternity season. Bat exclusion is a multi-step process that you can read more about by clicking here.
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